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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29383962">It flickers, dies, and all is dark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShySalamander/pseuds/TheShySalamander'>TheShySalamander</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Blackmail, Blood Egg, Blood Vines, Blood for the Blood Egg, Character Death, Kidnapping, Sacrifice, Threatening, Trauma, Violence, hostages</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:27:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,509</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29383962</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShySalamander/pseuds/TheShySalamander</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He could see only darkness. The rough fabric pulling around his eyes, scraping his skin harshly. He could taste the metallic twang of blood, still spilling into his mouth from where he was punched.</p><p>Or where,</p><p>The Egg gets impatient and Tommy, Tubbo and Sam are kidnapped.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cara | CaptainPuffy &amp; Sam | Awesamdude &amp; TommyInnit, Sam | Awesamdude &amp; TommyInnit, Tommyinnit &amp; Tubbo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>136</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It flickers, dies, and all is dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29380548">Let's Go Below Zero and Hide From the Sun</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/KPop_Rogue/pseuds/KPop_Rogue">KPop_Rogue</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He could see only darkness. The rough fabric pulling around his eyes, scraping his skin harshly. He could taste the metallic twang of blood, still spilling into his mouth from where he was punched. He was stumbling forward, hands hoisting him upright as he stumbled from the onslaught of injuries he had just received. His stomach ached, sharp stabs of pain racking through him as he twisted. He could only catch scraps as his kidnappers mumbled above him. Yet none of their words stuck as his thoughts spun and drifted away. He swallowed, wincing as one of his kidnappers jostled his side. His breaths were laboured, quick and short.</p><p>They were moving downwards; he couldn’t tell what direction. His feet staggered down the uneven steps, the sound echoing through the small space. Slowly, the fogginess of his thoughts was beginning to clear. With each uncertain step, clarity returned. The air was frigid and bitter as it hit his skin. His hand felt the wall, of the tunnel he must be walking in. It was freezing to the touch, obviously, rock. He knew that much from his time spent in Pogtopia, but he pushed the memory away. He couldn’t handle a panic attack on top of his current situation. He had to get out, somehow.</p><p>He couldn’t remember how he got here. But it felt like he was stuck in a loop, of just walking down and down the tunnel getting thinner and smaller the deeper they progressed. The air getting colder. His fingers stung as he groped the icy wall for stability, the rough stone tour at his skin. He scrunched up his eyes, his fingers twitched as he fought the urge to itch the sore skin around his eyes.</p><p>A loud crash echoed down the tight space; he heard the murmurs behind him stop. In a desperate attempt, he quickly brought his hand to his face. His stomach lurched as he fell forwards. The harsh shove to his shoulder had been unexpected. He wasn’t an idiot. He had listened to their frustratingly quiet movements when they had stopped. His body rolled forward, curling into a ball instinctively. He rolled. It hurt. He groaned in pain as a step collided with his spine. He kept rolling. He could no longer hear his kidnappers, perhaps he had rolled out of earshot, or they had finally decided to shut the hell up, but more likely was just that the thundering of his heartbeat was drowning them out.</p><p>Shakily he stuck his arm out, catching himself on the step. Exhaling shakily, he looked up the way he came. Peering into the darkness, he wrestled the blindfold off. He let out a short gasp as the world blurred before him. He blinked. The tunnel extended for as long as he could see, the only light shone from the lanterns hanging from the ragged ceiling in irregular intervals.</p><p>Glancing up the tunnel, he peered through the dark spaces between the lanterns. He couldn’t see his captures, maybe he had rolled to far to hear them. He couldn’t hear any hurried footsteps, so he supposed they weren’t really that worried. His scoff turned into a wine as he pushed himself up onto his feet. He ignored the dizziness that flooded his head. He looked back up the tunnel, although it was silent, he knew the stupid people who had kidnapped him were up there. He thought back to who could have decided that they wanted to kidnap him. Too many people sprung to mind.</p><p>After a moment of deliberation, he restarted his descent into the icy, dark tunnel. His eyes strained as he passed between the light and the dark. Soon he could see his breath, it came out in great puffs. He was sure at this rate he would fall unconscious and begin his almost certain fatal roll again. Instead, he reached the bottom.</p><p>The tunnel started to even out, growing wider and bigger as it moved forward. The steps disappeared, as he stepped into the larger space. This tunnel looked a lot shorter than the one it had taken to get there. He just hoped that this was indeed true. The air felt almost Antarctic, he was shivering. Wilbur’s coat could only give small amounts of warmth what with the massive hole in the back and the buttons and hung precariously off the coat at the front. He turned his thoughts away.</p><p>Slowly, he made the way towards the light pouring into the end of the tunnel. He paused. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? Well, he was kidnapped and was being led here. So technically it could be very bad. But there was no other way. He sighed, walking into the light-flooded doorway. Once again, the world blurred, his eyes struggling to adapt to the abundance of light. After a few tense blinding seconds, his eyes adjusted.</p><p>He laughed. Of course, it was.</p><p>He looked around the room, draped in glowing red blood vines which curled up the walls, over the ceiling and over the floor. He looked to the corner spotting the pulsating, egg that sat there. Sucking the warmth out the air. Stepping into the room, he avoided the large vines with a grimace. He couldn’t believe that Bad and Antfrost worshipped this thing. It clicked. They must have kidnapped him. Who else would have brought him here?</p><p>He moved further into the room, eyes still scanning the open space. He had been here recently, he could remember. He had danced around, pretending that he understood the grumbling growls the egg produced. Bad hadn’t been very happy about that, he had to admit. Maybe that’s why he kidnapped him?</p><p>He stood staring in front of the egg.</p><p>Or maybe it was that he had taken a piece of the egg? That could be it, seemed like it would enrage them enough to kidnap him. But wouldn’t they just kill him outright? Dream hadn’t, Dream liked to terrorise you first then kill you. Maybe that’s what they were planning. Couldn’t even be unique, huh.</p><p>He spun around at the sound of footsteps. Quickly, he darted around the back of the egg. The thing radiated heat, he guessed it made sense. He squinted, his gaze focusing on the two figures that were walking towards the egg. He could hear them talking, louder than in the tunnel. They stopped, looking at the egg. It produced a loud and drawn-out roar, immediately he watched as Bad’s eyes snapped to the side of the egg.</p><p>‘Come out Tommy, we know where you are. We have got something to show you.’ His voice sounded gleeful; his smug smirk evident in his words. Tommy didn’t respond.</p><p>‘Do you really want us to drag you out from behind the egg like a child?’ It was a low blow and he knew it. There was no real point in disobeying them, he was at their mercy. Or should he say the eggs mercy.</p><p>He stepped out, grimacing at the victorious expression on their faces.</p><p>‘What do you want to show me…?’ He left the question hanging in the air, as he stared at the two men. He tried to ignore the heat that poured off the egg, it was crashing onto him. It just felt uncomfortable.</p><p>‘Just look over there’ As he said it, Bad lifted his hand and pointed. Over to the far wall.</p><p>He heard Bad laugh. He was sprinting away, towards the wall. Tumbling over the stupid vines that sprawled over the floor. He couldn’t breathe.</p><p>Against the wall hung two cages, set an arms width apart. But it wasn’t the cages themselves that struck Tommy to the bone. No, it was the crumpled forms that sat slumped over in them. He couldn’t mistake them. The tell-tale mop of brunette hair, and the presidential suit. Then in the next cage, the green skin and golden Armor.</p><p>Tubbo and Sam.</p><p>Horror plunged through him. Like a knife twisting savagely in his gut. He fell to his knees, eyes glued to the figures.</p><p>‘Don’t worry they’re not dead… yet’ Bad spoke from behind him, his voice light as if they were discussing the weather or another equally as trivial matter. It burnt.</p><p>‘Now you have to choose’</p><p>‘Tubbo or Sam?’</p><p>He blinked.</p><p>‘what?’</p><p>He tore his eyes away from the cages, turning to Bad’s unsettling eyes.</p><p>‘The egg wants a sacrifice, so who will it be? Tubbo or Sam?’</p><p>‘Wha- no, no-no-no-no-no’ His eyes widened looking back to the them. His eyes scanned over them, making sure they weren’t hurt. Tubbo looked relatively unharmed, a cut on his arm that went through his suit and a cut above his eye seemed to be the only injuries he had sustained. Sam looked worse for wear, he had a black eye and an injury on the side of his head and leg.</p><p>‘Why- wha- why... why am I choosing?! Why does the egg need a sacrifice!?’</p><p>‘The egg needs a sacrifice and you are choosing because the egg requested you too.’</p><p>It was silent. Tommy could only stare at his friends as they lay unconscious in their cages.</p><p>‘Maybe you need some more convincing. Ant wake them up.’</p><p>Antfrost walked past Tommy, violently shaking both the cages until their occupants woke up with pain-induced groans.</p><p>Tommy jerked forward. Tears pooling in his eyes.</p><p>‘Tommy-?’</p><p>‘Tommy?!’</p><p>The two echoed, looking at each other in surprise before looking back to Tommy. Who now that he thought about it must look like shit. I mean he had been kidnapped and then rolled down a least 20 blocks of stairs. But he was fine. He had to concentrate on getting the other two out of here.</p><p>He heard Bad walk up behind him, he knew he should turn in case of a surprise attack. But it was unlikely, and anyway, he could drag his eyes away from his friends who were slowly beginning to realise their situation. A hand fell onto his shoulder. He flinched; the action way too similar to memories from exile. With… Dream. No Dream wasn’t here. He wasn’t doing this; this was the egg. Dream is in the prison.</p><p>‘So, which one will it be?’</p><p>The hand on his shoulder tightened, the voice raising the hair on the back of his neck. Or was the cold? He didn’t know. It wasn’t relevant. He kept silent; gaze trained between the two cages.</p><p>‘What does he mean? Tommy?’ Sam spoke, his voice sounding dazed and confused. Tommy’s eyes snapped to his eyes before he quickly looked away towards Tubbo who was holding his head.</p><p>‘If you don’t choose then they will both be chosen.’</p><p>The threat was clear in his words, as Tommy visibly gulped finally looking behind him to look into Bad’s now blazing white eyes.</p><p>‘NO!’ He spoke on impulse, cursing beneath his breath as he watched Bad start to smirk. He looked back to the cages, where Sam was looking increasing concerned and angry. He winced at his furious gaze, missing the apologetic look that flashed across his face when he saw him looking. Tubbo was now looking dizzy at Tommy through the bars.</p><p>A large grumble echoed through the space, shaking the cages violently and some of the nearby vines. Bad’s hand was still on his shoulder. It hurt.</p><p>‘Come on Tommy, you’ve got to choose one. The egg is getting impatient’</p><p>‘What do you mean? I swear Bad you better answer me or I swear-‘</p><p>‘Swear what? You’ll kill me? How very frightening. But very well, the egg has requested a sacrifice be made. It's between you two. Tommy just has to choose, isn’t that right Tommy?’ Bad interrupted not even sparing a glance up at where Sam was angry grasping the bars.</p><p>Bad turned to Tommy, smiling wickedly. His grip tightened even more. It really hurt. There was going to be worse than a bruise if he kept it up.</p><p>‘Tommy- pick me, it’ll be ok. I can take it’</p><p>‘No pick me- get your self and Tubbo out of here!’</p><p>Tommy could feel the pinpricks at his eyes, tears threatening to fall.</p><p>‘Hey, Tommy it will be ok. You’ll be safe, just pick me’ Sam was pleading with him, eyes full of fury but also compassion.</p><p>It turns out, Bad seemed have had enough of the standstill. He moved in front of Tommy, his hand still firmly digging a hole into his shoulder.</p><p>‘Choose now. Or both of them get it’</p><p>‘Ok’</p><p>It went silent.</p><p>His heartbeat thumped in his chest; panic was engulfing him. He swore everyone could hear the loud harsh exploding beats as they thrummed through him. He wiped his hands across his dirty, ripped jeans.</p><p>‘Me’</p><p>Immediately shouts erupted. Tubbo began to beat wildly at the bars, eyes wide and scared. Sam was screaming fear showing evident on his face.</p><p>‘NO! TOMMY NO- PLEASE CHOOSE ME’</p><p>‘NO NO NO NO! I CAN’T LOSE YOU! PLEASE CHOOSE ME! PLeASE!’</p><p>Tommy’s gaze turned to Bad’s.</p><p>‘I suppose that could work. Yes, that could work very well. Come on now Tommy’ Bad grinned, his smiled widening unnaturally. He felt nails dig further into his arm, he let out a small whimper of pain.</p><p>‘Wait- if I come, you will let them go right?’</p><p>‘I’m not sure you’re in the position to give demands here Tommy, but I am a man of my word. So, they will be let free however inconvenient that may be. Of course, that doesn’t mean they will be free forever, just free from this exchange’</p><p>Tommy nodded, licking his cracked lips.</p><p>‘Ok’</p><p>‘NO TOMMY!’</p><p>He felt himself get tugged along, any fight he had had now gone completely. At least it was better than putting the others in danger. Well hadn’t he done that already? They were locked up in cages and the only reassurance they would be free from the man who took them in the first place. It was all his fault. This was his punishment. He deserved it.</p><p>Suddenly, he realises they were standing by the egg. He followed Bad as he carefully climbed onto the top. With a sinking heart he saw the hole, looking to Bad he saw his thoughts were right. It all happened in slow motion and all at once. He heard the screams that tore from his friends as the grip on his arm was suddenly gone as was his footing. He felt himself fall backwards, staring at the gleeful face of the man who once offered to save him. Ironic.</p><p>He landed with a thud in the egg, a slimy substance covering him. Vines twisted around him, turning beneath his feet as he sank until the slime was up to his chest. Then it went dark, the sounds of his friends cries cut out. The darkness engulfed him, the only sounds were his own breathing and the sludging sound of the slime as he tried to move. His panic worsened as he realised.</p><p>He was alone. Again.</p><p>And it hurt.</p>
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